1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a confection composition. More particularly, it relates to a gasified candy confection prepared with a predetermined geometry. This invention especially relates to discrete pieces of gasified candy having a controlled shape.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Gasified candy is a hard candy containing carbon dioxide gas as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,102,893 of Kremzner and Mitchell, 3,985,909 and 3,985,910 of Kirkpatrick and 4,001,457 of Hegadorn, which are incorporated herein by reference. Such a candy is made by the process which comprises melting crystalline sugar, contacting such sugar with gas at a pressure of 50 to 1,000 psig for a time sufficient to permit incorporation in said sugar of 0.5 to 15 ml. of gas per gram of sugar, maintaining the temperature of said sugar during said adsorption above the solidification temperature of the melted sugar, and cooling said sugar under pressure to produce a solid amorphous sugar containing the gas. Upon the release of the pressure, the solid gasified candy fractures into granules of assorted sizes.
The resultant product contains 1% to 4% water and most typically 2% and 3% water by weight of the total composition. (All percentage figures herein are in terms of weight percent unless expressly stated otherwise.) Lower levels of moisture are not practicably obtainable because the additional heat necessary to drive off the water causes the candy melt to caramelize or burn, resulting in an off-flavor, undesirable product. Higher moisture levels result in a soft, sticky matrix which rapidly liberates the entrapped gas and is thus not storage stable.
The gasified candy, when placed in the mouth, produces an entertaining but short-lived popping sensation. As the candy is wetted in the mouth the candy melts and the entrapped gas escapes. The tingling effect in the mouth is sensational but short.
When the solidified gasified candy is fractured into granulated pieces by the release of pressure from the preparation vessel, the resultant product is sieved to remove the fines. The larger sized pieces are packaged for commercial use but a commercial use has not been found for the fines of gasified candy. The granulated pieces, which form a commercial product, are irregular, randomed-sized pieces having the appearance of pieces of broken glass or what might be termed sharp-faced pieces of gravel.
The gas is contained within the gasified candy in a series of bubbles which, when prepared by the methods disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,012,893; 3,985,909; 3,985,910 and 4,001,457 have a size ranging from 3 to 1000 microns, although more than 50% of the bubbles have a diameter greater than 60 microns. It is the release of the gas from these bubbles which produces the popping sensation when the gasified candy is permitted to melt in the mouth.
It is an object of this invention to provide a gasified candy in predetermined shaped pieces.
It is another object of this invention to prepare gasified candy in a controlled shape by a process which will substantially eliminate or significantly reduce the production of gasified candy fines.
It is a further object of this invention to prepare a gasified candy confection which produces a mouthfeel sensation more prolonged than is obtained with the gasified candy produced heretofore.